The House needs to take the pressure off of Mcconnell and, instead, put that pressure on Reid and Obama by:

(1) passing an itemized spending bill that decreases federal spending in 2012 by a significant amount

(2) authorizes an increase in the debt ceiling by the same significant amount and

(3) legally requires the Executive branch to prioritize its cash disbursements after August 2 as follows:

(a) Federal Debt Service
(b) Social Security payments, government pension payments
(c) Defense Department salaries and payments on DD contracts.
(d)
...
(v) foreign aid — after a 50% cut
(w) the EPA’s budget — after a 50% cut in headcount
(x) agricultural subsidies, price supports and other free market-evading schemes — after a 50% cut
(y) subsidies for “green energy research” after a 50% cut
(z) payments to the UN and any of its affiliates after a 50% cut

IMHO, that is the only way the GOP can protect itself from losing the Media’s current version of the “rope-a-dope” game.

I understand that the GOP wants to “look like” adults who are trying to negotiate in good faith with the Democrats.

However, since the Democrats have no interest in good-faith negotiating, it is now time for the GOP to “act like” adults and just CUT THE SPENDING!

If the Democrats in the Senate want to explain to their constituents in the next election just WHY, for example, they opposed cutting foreign aid payments to China — just let them.